Loveland's greatest love stories: Love after three dates (timeline)

By Jessica Benes

Posted:
01/28/2013 04:10:18 PM MST

View the timeline of other love stories at the end of the article.

Submitted by Bart Bartholomew:

In December 1967, I was 19 years old serving with the US Navy aboard an Amphibious Aircraft Carrier, the USS Valley Forge LPH 8 off the coast of Vietnam, and Dot was a sophomore at Fort Hayes State in Kansas.

On the 16th of December I was notified by the American Red Cross that my father who lived in Denver, Colo. had a severe heart attack and was not expected to live. I grabbed a duffle bag, put a few personal items in it and caught the first helicopter to Danang. From there I got connecting military and civilian flights and in less than 20 hours I was in Denver and at my dad's bed side.

Bart Bartholomew was in the Navy. (Special to the Reporter-Herald)

It was late in the afternoon, still on Dec. 16, because I actually landed in the United States before I left Vietnam. You see, you cross the International Date Line and going east you lose a day and going west you gain a day.

Anyway, I was in Denver with only the clothes I was wearing when I left Vietnam and a duffle bag and had not been to bed in over 20 hours. So, I told the hospital staff that I needed to get to eastern Colorado where my mother lived and get a change of clothes and that I would be back the next day. I left the hospital and made it to the highway and hitchhiked to Burlington, Colo., getting there in the early evening. I visited with Mom for a while, cleaned up got into civilian clothes and went to the local drive in and got a bite to eat. There I met some friends of mine and we decided to cruise around together and catch up on old times.

While cruising around we noticed a car from Kansas that had two girls in it. So, I decided to check them out. It was a custom in those days to drag Main (also known as cruising). Our Main Street was only five blocks long.

Dot Bartholomew met her husband at age 19. (Special to the Reporter-Herald)

We both ended up on Main. When we dragged Main we honked our car horns at every car we met whether we knew them or not and not just once but every time we met them. After a few trips up and down Main it seemed to me that the two girls from Kansas were anxious to meet this ole 19-year-old (of course this was my opinion).

I made a quick U-turn on Main Street and got in behind their car and when the only red traffic light in town turned red, I got out of my car and I walked up to the Kansas car and got into the back seat. My friend took over driving my car. Once in the Kansas car I started to introduce myself and the girl who was sitting in the passenger seat said “I know who you are” and she said my name. Well, that didn't stop me because the driver did not know me, so I introduced myself to her. Her name was Dot and she was home on Christmas break from college. Dot and the other girl (her younger sister) decided to come to Burlington from Ruleton, Kan. (less than 20 miles away) for something to do. I was not a shy boy by any means and asked Dot if she would like to ride around with me and my friend and his wife for the rest of the evening and her sister could take the car home and I would take her home to Ruleton later. I never did ask Dot why she said ok but she did. Maybe it was because her sister knew me and that made it ok. Of course I am just guessing.

Dot and Bart Bartholomew (Special to the Reporter-Herald)

Before the evening ended I asked Dot if it was ok for me to write to her when I got back overseas, she said yes and we exchanged addresses.

We said good night and she went her way and I went mine. I went back to my house, said goodbye to my mom and hitchhiked back to Denver. I stayed with my dad until the doctors said he was going to be ok and I went back to Vietnam.

Dot and I started writing each other a lot and became good friends, and in November of 1968 my ship the Valley Forge came back to the States after more than a year being deployed. I was granted shore leave and took a week and came back to Colorado. I called Dot in Hays, Kan. and asked her if she would come back to Goodland where her mother lived so we could spend some time together while I was home for a few days to see me. She said "No,” because she had things to do. So, I asked if it would be ok if I came to Hays to see her. She was ok with that. Well, I did go to Hays and I did bring her back to Goodland. Now, this was our second date.

After my leave was up I went back to California where my ship was docked. In January of 1969, I made a surprise visit back to the Colorado and Dot and I met up for our third date. So, in the span of 13 months during a long distance relationship and our inspiring letters to each other we fell in love. On this date, I proposed marriage to her. She accepted and we set a November 1969 wedding date. A few short months later the Valley Forge went back to Vietnam.

In June of 1969, my dad had more complications and had to have open heart surgery which brought me back to the states again. During my stay with my dad I made another trip Kansas to see Dot to tell her that because of my coming home for Dads' heart surgery, I had used up all my leave time. So, it would be impossible to have our November wedding and that I thought we should get married now and Dot agreed.

So, from Dec. 16, 1967 to January 1969, (1.5 years) we had three dates and on June 20, 1969 with her mom's and my mom's blessing we got married and this coming June 2013 we will have celebrate our 44th year of wonderful marriage. We have been blessed with two wonderful daughters and five grandkids. Oh, by the way we still have every letter we wrote to each other.